Court to rule July 2 on Mohbad case against DPP advice

The Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has fixed July 2, 2025, for judgment on an application filed by Mr. Joseph Aloba, father of late singer Mohbad, seeking to nullify the legal advice issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) which cleared Naira Marley and Sam Larry of involvement in his son’s d3ath

Justice Taiwo Olatokun set the date after hearing arguments from both parties—Aloba’s counsel, Wahab Shittu (SAN), and the respondents’ representative, Joke Amachree.

Mr. Aloba, acting on behalf of the Aloba family, had asked the court to set aside the DPP’s legal advice, arguing that it pre-empted the outcome of the ongoing Coroner’s Inquest, which is yet to determine the cause of Mohbad’s d3ath. He claimed the decision amounted to denial of fair hearing and prematurely absolved key suspects mentioned during inquest proceedings.

In a counter affidavit dated June 24, the DPP’s office maintained that the suspects were not acquitted but merely discharged due to lack of evidence linking them to the singer’s death. Legal officer Ayinde Ibrahim, in a sworn statement, emphasized that the Coroner had not yet delivered a verdict implicating any of the released suspects.

The DPP further explained that the advice was based on a thorough review of the duplicate case file submitted by police investigators, which revealed no credible evidence against Naira Marley, Sam Larry, or others named in the file. The respondents argued that the Coroner and Mr. Aloba had no access to this file and thus could not assess the legal rationale behind the decision.

They also stated that no directive was given to the DPP to delay the legal advice pending the outcome of the inquest, nor was the police under obligation to notify the Coroner of the file submission.

The DPP’s office maintained that the application was based on speculative claims and assumptions, not backed by new or verifiable facts that could challenge their conclusion.

“The applicant and those who testified at the inquest did not provide any fresh, credible evidence that linked Naira Marley, Sam Larry, Prima Boy, or Opere Babatunde to Mohbad’s death,” the response read. “In the interest of justice, the application should be dismissed.”

The final ruling on the matter will be delivered on July 2, 2025.

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